Street and station indicator.



PATENTED MAY 15, 1906.

F. SGHUBERT.

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Inventor.

Attorneys STREET AND STATION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 1906.

Application filed June 8, 1905. Serial No. 264,322.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FERDINAND SOHUBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Street and Station Indicator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to station or street indicators for use upon railway-cars, streetcars, trolley-lines, and the like, and has for its object to improve the construction and increase the efliciency and utility of devices of this character.

With these and other objects inview, which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters, is illustrated the preferred form of embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation.

In the drawings thus employed, Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation, of the improved device. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail of the spring-controlled trip-pawl mechanism. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the reversible trip-pawl detached.

The improved device comprises an outer casing 10 of any approved size or material and with a detachable back 11 and glasscovered openings 12 in the front with backing-plates 13 spaced from the coverings and in the rear of the same. Disposed within the outer casing and spaced from its side walls are plates 14 15, having bearings 16 17 for the journals 18 19 of drums 20, the latter arranged in pairs, as shown. The bearings for the journals of the drums lead rearwardly, as shown at 21 in Fig. 4, so that the drums may be removed and inserted from the rear when the back 11 of the casing is removed, as will be obvious. Some forms of catches, such as drop members 22 23, will be employed to hold the drums in position, said members capable of being swung upon their pivotal supports clear of the slots 21 Whenever it is desired to remove the drum.

Any required numb er of pairs of the drums 20 may be employed, but generally two pairs will be employed, one pair for carrying a band for the names of the streets or stations and the other pair for carrying a band with advertising matter thereon, the latter band having as many separate advertising cards or tablets as there are street or station names on the former band, so that every time the device is operated to display a street or station a different advertising-card will also be displayed, and the mechanism whereby the drums are simultaneously actuated to cause this consecutive displayof matter is one of the important features of the present invention.

Disposed above the upper backing-plate 13 is a guide-roller 24, and likewise disposed above the lower late 13 is a guide-roller 25, the rollers being ournaled in the plates 14 15 and also journaled in the plates near the lower ends of the backing-p ates are guiderollers 26 27. The plates 14 15 are provided with vertical slots 28 29 in alinement with the members 13, and adjustably disposed, respectively, in these slots are the journals of guide-rollers 3O 31, the journals provided with clamp-nuts, as at 32, by which they may be clamped in position.

The web or band upon which the names of the streets or stations are displayed is indicated by dotted lines 33 in Fig. 2 andis connected by one end to the upper drum 20 and carried thence over the guide-roller 24, thence between the upper backing-plate 13 and the glass covering of the upper aperture 12, thence around the adjustable guide-roller 30, thence over the guide-roller 26, and thence to the second drum 20. The purpose of the supplemental guide 26 is to maintain a constant direction of feed of the Web from said guide to the adjacent drum regardless of the adjustment of the guide 30, thereby to insure the proper feeding of the web to the drum.

is displayed is indicated by dotted lines at 34 in Fig. 2 and connected by one end to the upper drum of the second pair and carried thence over the guide-roller 25, thence between the lower backin -plate 13 and the adj acent glass closure of fllie lower aperture 12,- thence around the adjustable guide-roller 31, thence around the guide-roller 27, and thence to the lower drum of the second pair. The

webs or belts are thus independently ar- The web or band on which advertising matter ranged in one respect, but are simultaneously actuated by a novel mechanism connected to the frame 10 and also independently adjustable to provide the necessary tension'by the action of the adjustable guide-rollers 3O 31, as will be obvious.

The backing-plates 13, coacting with the glass coverings for the apertures 12, form an effectual support for the moving belts, and thus prevent vibrations from the jars or concussions incident to the moving trains or cars at the point where the street or station names are displayed or where the advertising mat ter is displayed.

The journals 19 of the drums 20 at one end are provided with sockets 35, in which the inner ends of longitudinally-slidable shafts 36 are detachably coupled, the slidable shafts journaled in the bearings 37 in the frame 10 and provided with gears eXteriorly of the same. The gears upon the slidable shafts of the upper pair of drums are of the same size and denoted, respectively, as 38 39 and intermeshing with an idler-gear 40, and the gears upon the slidable shafts of the lower pair of drums are likewise of the same size and denoted, respectively, as 41 42 and intermeshing with an idler-gear 43, while a third idlergear 44 intermeshes with the gears 39 41.

The lower aperture 12, through which the advertisements are successively displayed, is preferably larger than the upper aperture, through which the street or station names only appear, to provide for a larger display of advertising matter, and as the connected train of gearing insures, the simultaneous movement of all the drums it is requisite that the ears shall be of different sizes, so that the Tower belt 34 shall move through its larger field in the same period of time as the upper belt moves through its smaller field, and the differences in the sizes of the gears, as shown, produces this desired result.

It is obvious that any variations in the sizes of the apertures may be readily provided for by merely altering the relative sizes of the gears and without further changes in the structure.

Attached to the device at suitable points, preferably to the stub-shafts 45 46 of the idler-gears 40 and 43, are spring members 47 48, respectively engaging the gears 38 39 and 41 42 at their free ends and maintaining the shafts 36, yieldably coupled to the journals 19 of the drums 20. Thus the drums will be rotated'when the train of gears is actuated, and any single drum or all of the drums may be detached by simply withdrawing the springs 47 48, as the case may be, to detach the coupling-shaft 19, detach the drop member 22, and withdraw the drums through the guide portions 21. Thus when the belts 33 or 34 are to be renewed or the matter changed thereon the drums can be readily removed and replaced, as above noted.

The upper gear 38 is provided with a plurality of radiating recesses 49 spaced at equal distances, and pivoted to the shaft 36 of the gear 38 is an arm 50, preferably U- shaped and embracing both sides of the gear, as shown in Fig. 1, and supplied with a spring 51, by which the same may be maintained yieldably in withdrawn position against a stop 52, while a similar stop 53 limits the upward movement. A spring-pawl 54 operates through the outer member of the arm for engaging the recesses 49 consecutively, and the inner end of the pawl is inclined, so that it will engage the recesses only when moving in one direction and click over the same when moving in the opposite direction, as will be obvious. The spring-actuated pawl 54 is reversible in position, so that the drums can be rotated in either direction as required, and thus reverse the direction of motion of the belts for the return trip.

The construction and operation of the pawl 54 will be best understood by reference to Figs. 6 and 7, wherein it will be seen that the stem or shank a of the pawl works end wise through a tubular case I), carried by the outer member of the arm 50. Within the case there is a transverse partition 0, having an opening through which the stem of the pawl works, there being a helical spring d, embracing the stem and connected at opposite ends to the head of the stem and the partition 0, so as to exert an inward pressure upon the pawl to maintain the same in en gagement with the gear 38. To disengage the pawl from the gear, it is necessary to pull the pawl outwardly, and when it is desired to reverse the operation of the device the pawl is given a half-turn, so as to reverse the position of its beveled terminal. For holding the pawl against accidental rotation it is provided with a laterally-disposed fork or seat a, capable of alternately embracing studs or projections f upon the outer end of the case.

A gravity-stop pawl 55 is attached to the frame 10 for engaging the teeth of the gear 38 and is double-ended, so that it is reversible foi acting upon the gear from either end. A suitable handle 55 is provided upon the pawl 55 for convenience in reversing the position thereof when the pawl 54 is reversed.

Connected to the arm 50 is a stop member 56 for engaging the teeth of the idler-gear 40 when the arm is in its withdrawn position, and connected to the same arm is a longer stop member 57 for engaging the teeth of the same idler-pinion when the arm 50 is in its upward position, so that the gearing and the drums associated therewith will be positively locked from accidental displacement.

Two bell-crank levers 58 59 are pivoted, respectively, to the casing 10, as at 60 61, and coupled to the arm 50 by links 62 63 at one end and with pull-cords 64 65, leading in opposite directions therefrom, the employment of two of the bell-cranks reversely disposed enabling the device to be operated from either direction. I

A signal-gong 66 is disposed upon the easing 10, and adjacent to this gong is a shaft 67, having ahammer 68 upon one end for contact with the gong, and a trip-arm 69, extending from the other end and in the path of a pin 70 upon the bell-crank lever 59. The shaft 67 is provided with a spring 71, operating to maintain the hammer yieldably in retracted position, so that when the trip-arm is moved laterally by the action of a pin 7 O on the lever member 59 and released as the pin passes beneath the trip-arm the recoil of the spring will cause the hammer to strike the gong and sound an alarm and call the attention of the passengers to the fact that the next street or station is displayed and also that another advertisingcard is in View.

As the pull-cord 64 or 65, as the case may be, is operated, the arm 50 will actuate the gear 38and the train of gears associated therewith, with the result of moving the belts the distance of one space of each and display the names of the streets or stations consecutively, as before described. As the arm 50 is drawn upward,the stop member 56 will be withdrawn from the idler-gear wheel 40, releasing the train of gears and permitting their movement, and at the end of the upward stroke the other stop member 57 will engage the opposite side of the same gear and again lock the train from movement. When the drawcord is released, the spring 51 will return the arm 50 to its downward position and likewise restore the stop members 56 57 to their former positions, as in Fig. 2. At the end of the trip the pawls 54 and 55 will be reversed in position, which will cause the belts to run in the opposite direction when the draw-cords are operated, and thus display the names of the streets or stations and also the advertising matter in reverse order, as willbe obvious.

The device is simple in construction and can be readily adapted to any system of street or trolley cars or steam railroads or similar lines.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a case having a sight-opening, of a pair of drums contained within the case at opposite sides of the sight-opening, a backing-plate mounted within the case in rear of the sight-opening, guide members located at opposite sides of the sight-opening, one of the guides being adjustable toward and away from the other, a supplemental guide located between the adjustable guide and the adjacent drum, and a web extending from one of the drums to the adjacent guide, thence between the sight-opening and the backing-plate, thence to the adjustable guide, thence to the supplemental guide and finally to the other drum.

the bearings in said outer casing and leading rearwardly, drums having ournals engaging the bearings in said inner casing, the journals at correspondlng ends of the drums bemg provided with sockets adjacent to the outer casing-bearings, a belt connected at the ends respectively to said drums for winding from one to the other, stub-shafts rotatively engaging said outer casing-bearings and detachably engaging the sockets of said drumjournals, means for yieldably maintaining said shafts in coupled position relative to said drums, and means for simultaneously rotating said drums.

3. In a device of the class described, an inclosing casing, oppositely-disposed drums spaced apart and mounted for rotation in said casing and with journals extending through the same, a belt connected respectively to said drums for winding from one to the other, gears up on said drums for rotating said drums simultaneously in the same direction, one of said gears having spaced recesses radially disposed, an arm pivoted upon the journal of the gear carrying the recesses, a spring-controlled pawl carried by said arm for consecutive engagement with said recesses, spaced stop members carried by said arm for alternate "engagement with the teeth of one 'of said gears, a retracting spring connected to said arm, and means for moving said arm against the force of said spring.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair of drums, a train of gears connecting the drums for simultaneous rotation in the same direction, and a web wound upon the drums, of operating means consisting of a ratchet-lever cooperating with one of the gears and provided with stop ele ments disposed for alternate engagement with one of the other gears at opposite limits of the lever to lock the train of gears at each limit of movement of the lever.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair of drums, a train of gears connecting the drums, and a web wound upon the drums, of an operating-lever fulcrumed upon the axis of one of the gears and provided with a ratchetpawl-cooperat ing with one face of the adjacent gear, and stop projections carried by the lever at opposite sides of the pawl for alternate engagement with one of the other gears at opposite limits of the lever to lock the train of gears.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FERDINAND SOHUBERT. Witnesses:

JOHN E. DUGAN, WILL R. HARDIN. 

